Method and machine for making a continuous cigarette rod

ABSTRACT

A cigarette rod making machine including a hopper to feed a stream of shredded tobacco containing tobacco in excess of that required in the rod, onto an elongated conveyor adapted to form the same into a filler stream. The filler stream is conveyed thereby to the lower portion of a vertically disposed suction wheel having a peripheral groove adapted to receive the stream and hold the same therein. A trimmer is positioned adjacent to the periphery ofthe wheel near the upper portion thereof, and is adapted to remove the excess in order to provide a uniform rod. An adjustable roller is positioned adjacent to the periphery of the wheel in advance of the trimmer, and presses on the free surface of the tobacco stream in the groove in order to compact the same before the excess is removed by trimming. The roller is driven so that its peripheral speed is the same as the peripheral speed of the wheel. The trimmed stream is transferred to another elongated conveyor where it is wrapped into a rod and then cut into individual cigarettes. A detector measures the quantity of tobacco in the wrapped rod and provides a signal which is fed to a device which adjusts the position of the roller with respect to the suction wheel thereby controlling the degree of compaction of the filler stream in advance of the trimmer. If desired, a detector may be located so as to measure the quantity of tobacco in the filler stream. The trimmed excess is returned to the filler stream in advance of the wheel.

[4 1 Jan. 8, 1974 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING A CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE ROD Georg Lakos, Wentorf Bei Hamburg, Germany [73] Assignee: Hauni Werke Koerber and Co. KG,

Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany 22 Filed: Jan. 13,1966

21 Appl. No.: 528,688

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 152,510, Nov. 15,

1961, abandoned.

[75] Inventor:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 17, 1960 Germany H 40971 [52] US. Cl. 131/21 D, 131/84 C, 131/84 B [51] Int. Cl. A24c 05/34 [58] Field of Search ..131/21, 21 B, 21 D, 131/84, 84 B, 84 C [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,174,486 3/1965 Powell 131/84 B 555,418 2/1896 Baron 131/84 1,709,299 4/1929 Bargeboer.... 131/84 2,172,786 9/1939 Bisher 131/84 C UX 2,251,518 8/1941 Herrmann.... 131/84 3,019,793 2/1962 Labbe 131/84 B 3,052,242 9/1962 Levadi 131/21 D 3,059,650 10/1962 Gamberini.... 131/84 B X 3,074,413 1/1963 McArthur.... 131/84 B 3,089,497 5/1963 Molins et a1. 131/21 D 3,091,244 5/1963 Molins et a1. 131/84 B 3,173,424 3/1965 Gamberini 131/84 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,235,245 5/1960 France 131/84 0 880,850 10/1961 Great Britain 131/84 C Primary Examiner-Joseph S. Reich AttorneyMichael S. Striker 57 9 ABSTRACT A cigarette rod making machine including a hopper to feed a stream of shredded tobacco containing tobacco in excess of that required in the rod, onto an elongated conveyor adapted to form the same into a filler stream. The filler stream is conveyed thereby to the lower portion of a vertically disposed suction wheel having a peripheral groove adapted to receive the stream and hold the same therein. A trimmer is positioned adjacent to the periphery ofthe wheel near the upper portion thereof, and is adapted to remove the excess in order to provide a uniform rod. An adjustable roller is positioned adjacent to the periphery of the wheel in advance of the trimmer, and presses on the free surface of the tobacco stream in the groove in order to compact the same before the excess is removed by trimming. The roller is driven so that its peripheral speed is the same as the peripheral speed of the wheel. The trimmed stream is transferred to another elongated conveyor where it is wrapped into a rod and then cut into individual cigarettes. A detector measures the quantity of tobacco in the wrapped rod and provides a signal which is fed to a device which adjusts the position of the roller with respect to the suction wheel thereby controlling the degree of compaction of the tiller stream in advance of the trimmer. If desired, a detector may be located so as to measure the quantity of tobacco in the filler stream. The trimmed excess is returned to the filler stream in advance of the wheel.

8 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING A CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE ROD This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 152,510, filed Nov. 15, 1961, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a machine for the production of cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and similar rod-shaped articles, and more particularly to a machine for the production of a continuous wrapped tobacco rod. 1

One object of the invention is to provide a novel machine which may be used for producing the above noted wrapped rod and to construct and assemble the machine in such a way that the formation of a tobacco rod of constant cross section, weight and density may be brought about in a fully automatic way and that the tobacco rod may be produced at the rate required in modern high-speed tobacco processing machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for producing a tobacco rod which is provided with a plurality of trimming, smoothing or equalizing devices and wherein a tobacco stream which is to be converted into a tobacco rod may be densified in a very simple manner, in several stages, and in such zones of the apparatus that at least some compression remains at the time the stream is subjected to the final trimming, smoothing or equalizing action.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine for the production of a tobacco rod wherein the determination of the weight and/or quantity of tobacco per unit length of the tobacco rod automatically triggers such adjustments in the operation of the machine as are necessary to insure that the weight and/or quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod invariably remains within a predetermined range.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tobacco rod former which is of compact design, which can be used in the production of tobacco rods for manufacture of cigars, cigarettes and/or cigarillos or cheroots, and wherein the position of the trimming means with reference to the conveyor means for the tobacco stream need not be adjusted so that the trimming means is less prone to malfunction than in certain conventional machines wherein the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the tobacco rod is regulated by adjustments in the position of the trimming means with reference to the conveyor means or vice versa.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanical compacting device for use in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel operative connection which controls the compacting means in response to impulses received on detection of tobacco rod lengths when the weight and/or quantity of tobacco per unit length deviates from a predetermined optimum value.

Briefly stated, one feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of producing a wrapped tobacco rod which contains a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof. The method comprises the steps of forming a tobacco stream having an exposed side and containing tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod, moving the tobacco stream lengthwise in a predetennined path, compacting the stream by subjecting its exposed side to the action of a mechanical and/or pneumatic compacting force acting in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the tobacco stream, trimming the thus compacted tobacco stream by removing excess tobacco along the exposed side of the tobacco stream whereby the remainder of the stream forms a tobacco rod, wrapping the tobacco rod into a continuously supplied wrapper to form a wrapped tobacco rod, measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of .the tobacco rod, and adjusting the mechanical and/or pneumatic compacting force in accordance with the measured result by reducing the compacting force when the measured quantity exceeds a predetermined quantity and by increasing the compacting force when the measured quantity is less than such predetermined quantity.

The trimming action may be carried out in two stages, namely, by rough trimming or smoothing prior to compacting, and by finish trimming or equalizing immediately following the compacting action so that the last stage of the trimming operation is carried out while the tobacco stream still remains under at least some compression.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.

The improved machine itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a tobacco rod forming machine which embodies one form of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates on a larger scale that portion of the machine which is shown in the upper left-hand corner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a modified tobacco rod forming machine in a view similar to that of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a detail of the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a portion of a third tobacco rod forming machine in a view similar to that of FIG. 2 or 3;

FIG. 6 is an axial section through a suction pipe which is connected with the suction chamber of a pneumatic compacting device adapted to be used in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the suction pipe as seen in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the left-hand portion of FIG. 1 and illustrates a suction chamber which is installed in a disc-shaped conveyor;

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of the tobacco rod forming machine as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view of a control device for a mechanical compacting member in the machine of FIG. 1, the view of FIG. 10 being taken in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a section substantially as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XIXI of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a substantially central section through the drive for the mechanical compacting member shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an adjusting device which regulates the action of the mechanical compacting member and the suction which prevails in the suction chamber shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 shows the adjusting device of FIG. 13 but with the components of this device in a different positron;

FIG. 15 shows the adjusting device of FIGS. 13 and 14 but with its components in a further position; and

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the electric circuit of the testing device.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a tobacco feed including a distributor 1 which is arranged at a level below the level of a cigarette rod produced by the rod making machine of the invention. The distributor l discharges shredded tobacco in the form of a shower which descends onto the upper stretch or run of an endless horizontal tobacco conveying band 2. The tobacco filler stream F formed on the band 2 is transferred into the lower portion of a circular suction groove 3a provided in a suction conveyor disc 3 which rotates in a vertical plane about the axis of a horizontal shaft 3b. Since the disc 3 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, the tobacco filler stream F entering the groove 3a is moved upwardly to the upper portion of the disc 3.

In accordance with a prior proposal, the unevennesses of the exposed surface of the tobacco filler stream in the circular groove are removed by a trimming device 4 consisting, for instance, of two cooperating star wheels and a circular knife, and the trimmedoff tobacco is transferred into the circumferential groove 5a of a circular disc 5 which is arranged next to the suction conveyor disc 3 and is coaxial therewith. The bottom wall in the circumferential groove 5a is provided with pointed pins. The tobacco in the circumferential groove 5a of the disc 5 is removed therefrom by a refuser roller 5b or the like which enters the downwardly moving portion of the circumferential groove 5a. This refuser roller 5b showers the loosened tobacco particles upon the tobacco filler stream F which is formed on the conveyor band 2 and travels toward the suction conveyor disc 3.

The tobacco filler stream F formed in this manner on the conveyor band 2 contains an excess or surplus of tobacco and, when transferred into the circumferential groove 3a of the suction conveyor disc 3, is subjected to the action of a mechanical pressing or compacting means, for instance, a pressing roller 6, before the tobacco reaches the trimming device 4 which latter is arranged near the top portion of the disc 3. The roller 6 is rotatably mounted at one end of a lever 16 and is driven at a peripheral speed which is substantially equal to the speed at which the tobacco filler stream is conveyed in the path defined by the disc 3. The other end of the lever 16 is rotatably supported by the machine frame, as at 16', and a spring 7 urges a follower roller of the lever 16 into engagement with a rotatably mounted cam disc 14. The follower roller 15 is rotatably mounted on a lateral projection 16a of the lever 16. The tobacco filler stream F with its excess of tobacco is compacted uniformly by the roller 6 and, as already stated, is subjected to the equalizing action of the trimming device 4 which removes the excess of tobacco. The remainder of the tobacco filler stream F is then conveyed from the uppermost portion of the disc 3 horizontally and in a direction to the right onto an endless horizontal conveyor band 8, also called forming band, upon which a strip of cigarette paper 9 is placed to receive the trimmed tobacco filler stream and the latter is wrapped into the cigarette paper band 9 to form a continuous cigarette rod 10. The strip of cigarette paper 9 is supplied by a reel 9a mounted on the machine frame.

The cigarette rod 10 passes through an electrically operated test device 11 which influences by means of an amplifier unit 12 a control device or adjusting device 13 which latter is employed in accordance with the invention for controlling the compressing action of the pressing roller 6. When the test device 1 1 indicates that the cigarette rod 10 contains an insufficient quantity of tobacco, the pressing roller 6 is moved toward the disc 3 so that the tobacco filler stream F will be somewhat more compressed by the same and when this more compacted tobacco filler stream reaches the trimming device 4, the latter will remove somewhat less tobacco from the tobacco filler stream. lnversely, when the test device 11 indicates that the cigarette rod 10 contains too much tobacco, the pressing roller 6 will be moved away from the disc 3 so that the trimming device 4 will be able to remove somewhat more tobacco from the tobacco filler stream. The .trimming plane of the trimming device 4 remains fixed and is normally located at the level of the top edges of the flanges bounding the groove 3a so that always a reliable removal of the excess quantity of tobacco from the tobacco filler stream takes place.

In addition to this control performed by the pressing roller 6, the invention also provides for a control of the suction air or of the air pressure which causes the tobacco filler stream to remain in the circumferential groove 3a of the suction conveyor disc 3. It is possible to reduce the negative pressure in the suction groove 3a when the tobacco filler stream contains too much tobacco, while, on the other hand, the negative pressure in the suction groove 30 may be increased when the cigarette rod does not contain enough tobacco.

FIG. 2 illustrates the described arrangement of the pressing roller 6 on the lever 16 on an enlarged scale. In order to remove gross irregularities from the tobacco filler stream F before it reaches the pressing roller 6, there is provided at a short distance in front of the pressing roller 6 a second trimming device in the form of a rotary brush 17 whose operating plane where the brush engages the tobacco filler stream is spaced from the bottom of the groove 3a by a distance which is greater than the distance between the operating plane of the trimming device 4 and the bottom of the groove 3a.

For the purpose of insuring that the pressing roller 6 will be more sensitive to the control impulses, it is advisable to attach the pressing roller 6, as shown in FIG. 3, by means of a lever 16b pivotally connected to the outer end of the lever 16 by means ofa pivot pin 19 and the roller 6 is mounted on that arm of the lever 16b which forms a straight extension of the lever 16, while the other arm of the lever 16b is yieldably connected by a helical spring 18 with the lateral projection 16a of the lever 16.

It is also within the purview of the invention to provide a pressing roller 6, as shown in FIG. 5, on its circumference with radial projections 6a which, when engaging the tobacco filler stream, provide the same with longitudinally spaced higher compacted portions which for instance are desirable in the production of denseend cigarettes at least one end of which contains tobacco which is more compacted than the remainder of the cigarette.

FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 8 illustrate in greater detail the construction of the suction conveyor disc 3 with the circumferential groove 30 therein. Reference may also be had to the copending application Ser. No. 854,306 of Willy Richter, filed Nov. 20, 1959, and now abandoned. FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 also show that, adjacent to the suction conveyor disc 3, there is arranged in coaxial relationship a circular disc 5 provided with a circumferential groove 5a, the bottom wall of which is provided with pointed pins. The cooperation of the suction conveyor disc 3 with the pin-carrying disc 5 is described in greater detail in a copending application Ser. No. 862,386 of Kurt Korber and Willy Richter, filed Dec. 28, 1959, now US. Pat. No. 3,261,364, issued July 17, 1966.

The control device 13, as particularly shown in FIGS. 9 and 16, is equipped with an adjusting motor 23 on the drive shaft or output shaft 24 of which is mounted a slip clutch 25. The driven part 26 of this clutch 25 is mounted on a shaft 27 which is in axial alignment with the shaft 24 and is used for controlling a suction air control flap 53 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The shaft 27 is rotatably supported in a bearing block 28 and in turn is connected by means of an additional slip clutch 25a with an additional axially aligned adjusting shaft 27a which controls the pressing roller 6. The shaft 27a is rotatably supported in a bearing block 29. The bearing blocks 28 and 29 are attached to the side wall 22 of the machine. The outwardly extending free end of the shaft 27a is attached to the cam disc 14 (FIG. which is engaged by the follower roller on the lateral projection 16a of the lever 16. The adjusting shaft 27 carries a loosely rotatable control disc 30 (FIG. 11) on which two dogs 31 and 32 are adjustably mounted and are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the disc 30. The dog 31 engages a pivotally mounted stop member 33 which by means of a spring 34 is urged into engagement with a supporting block 35 attached to the wall 22 of the machine. The clutch disc 36 of the slip clutch 25a is attached to the shaft 27 and has mounted thereon a control pin 37 which, upon rotation of the clutch 25a, comes into engagement with either one of the dogs 31 or 32. Within the operating range of these dogs 31 and 32 are arranged two disconnecting electric switches 38 and 39 which are mounted on the wall 22 of the machine frame (FIG. 11).

The control disc 30 has fixedly attached thereto a sheave 40 (FIG. 11) which is rotatable on the shaft 27 and this sheave 40 is employed for receiving the control cable 65 of the low pressure air control. The cam disc 14 on the shaft 27a is provided with a projection 14a (FIG. 10) which in both end positions engages abutment pins 42 and 43 which are longitudinally adjustably mounted in supporting blocks 44 and 45, respectively, which in turn are mounted on the wall 22 of the machine frame.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the suction conveyor disc 3 has arranged in its interior a stationary suction chamber provided with a connecting fitting 51 to which is attached a suction air pipe 52 which is best shown in the FIGS. 6 and 7. Within this pipe 52 is arranged the V-shaped control flap 53 the legs 54 and 55 of which are respectively provided with two apertures 56 and 57. The flap 53 is attached to a shaft 58 which extends transversely through the pipe 52 and is rotatably supported in bearings 59 and 60 attached to the pipe 52. The shaft 58 has attached to its outwardly extending end a collar 61 which is attached to a lever 62. The latter is provided with a number of apertures 63 for the selective mounting therein of a clamping bolt 64 on the control cable 65. The control cable 65 is trained around two deflecting rollers 66 and is attached to the cable sheave 40 (FIGS. 8, 9, 11 and 13) which is mounted on the adjusting shaft 27. The shaft 58 has also attached thereto another collar 68 (FIG. 7) with a lever 69 thereon which is attached to a return spring 70 (FIG. 6).

FIG. 12 illustrates the manner in which the pressing roller 6 at the outer end of the lever 16 is positively rotated about its own axis. A gear box 71 is attached to the wall 22 of the machine and has mounted therein a stationary shaft 72 fixedly supported in the clamping bearing 73 and forming the pivot axis 16' (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5) for the lever 16. The stationary shaft 72 rotatably supports a tubular shaft 74, one end of which extends into the gear box 71 and has mounted thereon a bevel gear 75 which is driven by a bevel gear 76 driven by a shaft coming from the inside of the machine frame and penetrating the wall 22 thereof. This shaft is positively driven by an intermediate gearing (not shown) which is driven by the main shaft of the cigarette making machine. The tubular shaft 74 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 77 and its outwardly extending end carries a sheave 78 which by means of an endless belt 79 rotates the drive wheel 80 (FIGS. 2 and 9) arranged coaxially with the pressing roller 6 and connected thereto.

The operation of the control device will now be explained in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15.

FIG. 13 illustrates the movable parts of the control device in positions they assume when the control flap 53 for the suction air is in its rest position, that is, when the suction air is maintained at such a low pressure as is sufficient for retaining the tobacco filler stream in the suction groove 3a. In this position, no particular control is exerted by the suction air.

The control cable 65 pulls the dog 31 against the stop 33 and the spring 34 maintains the stop 33 in engagement with the supporting block 35, but the bias of the spring 34 is stronger than the tension of the spring 70, which latter acts upon the control cable 65, so that the dog 31 cannot cause a pivotal movement of the stop 33.

Assuming that the test device 11 measures such a portion of the cigarette rod 10 which contains an insufficient quantity of tobacco. In such a case, the adjusting shaft 27 will be rotated by the motor 23 in the direction of the arrow 81 shown in FIG. 14 and such rotation continues until the test device 11 indicates that the weight of the cigarette rod, when determined along a predetermined length of the rod, has again reached the desired value.

FIG. 14 shows that the cam disc 14'has reached one of its two end positions and that the follower roller 15 has moved the pressing roller 6 to its lowest position. If, in this position of the roller 6, the quantity of tobacco in the measured portion of the cigarette rod 10 has not reached the desired value, the adjusting motor 23 continues to rotate the adjusting shaft 27. Since the projection 14a on the cam disc 14 now engages the abutment pin 42, (FIG. 13) the adjusting shaft 27a cannot rotate any further and, accordingly, the clutch 25a begins to slip. The control pin 37 which is attached to the clutch disc 36 engages the dog 31 and rotates the sheave 40 by means of the control disc 30. The cable 65 will be wound upon the sheave 40 and the control flap 53, owing to a pivotal movement of the lever 62, is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to open the flap 53, see FIG. 6. If now, for any reason, the tobacco feed is disturbed, the adjusting motor 23 will move the dog 31 toward the disconnecting switch 38 and will operate the latter. This disconnecting switch 38 may be used for producing a signal or also for disconnecting the cigarette making machine from its power supply.

FIG. 15 illustrates the other end positions of the movable parts which such parts assume in the event that the test device 11 indicates that the cigarette rod 10 contains too much tobacco. The adjusting motor 23 moves the adjusting shaft 27 in the direction of the arrow 82 until the adjusting shaft 27a has moved the cam disc 14 with the projection 14a thereon against the abutment pin 43. Thereupon the clutch 25a slips and only the adjusting shaft 27 continues to rotate. The control pin 37 engages the dog 32 and moves the latter in the direction of the arrow 83 until it reaches the disconnecting switch 39. In the position shown in FIG. 15, the disconnecting switch 39 has already been actuated by the dog 32 and, therefore, a signal has been produced or the power supply has been disconnected from the cigarette making machine.

According to a modified arrangement, the test device may be used for measuring the tobacco stream on the endless conveyor band 2 before the stream reaches the suction conveyor disc 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the test device 11a is illustrated in phantom lines in a position ,in advance of the point where excess tobacco is removed by the trimming device 4 and is transferred to the groove 50 of the circular disc 5 to be removed therefrom by the roller 5b and to be deposited in the form of a shower on top of the tobacco stream F on the endless conveyor band 2. In this arrangement of the test device 11a, adjustment of the pressing roller 6 or of the control flap 53 for the suction air takes place in the same manner as described in the foregoing in connection with the test device 11 which measures the quantity of tobacco in the cigarette rod 10.

After passing through the test device 1 1, the continuous cigarette rod 10 is subdivided into individual cigarettes by a rotary cutter 46 of a cutting device 47 and the individual cigarettes are moved by a conveyor 48 to a collecting bin or the like.

The test devices 11 and 11a may be of any desired conventional construction and, in particular, may be constructed in a manner as disclosed in the application Ser. No. 833,617 of Robert and Sieb, filed Aug. 13, 1959, and now abandoned.

The signals produced by the test device 11 are amplified by the amplifier unit 12 and are thereupon fed into the control device 13. The amplifier unit 12 amplifies the input current and contains means for reversing the polarity of the amplified current in dependency on the measured result which indicated whether the cigarette rod 10 contains too little or too much tobacco. When the cigarette rod 10 has the desired weight, the output of the amplifier unit 12 will be zero. The electrical circuitry of the control device 13 comprises, as particularly shown in FIG. 16, a polarized relay 85 whose switching lever 86 in its rest position assumes the center position illustrated in the drawing. At both sides of the switching lever 86 are arranged the contact elements 87 and 88 each of which is connected with one end of a winding of two control relays 89 and 90, re-

spectively. The switching lever 86 is conductively connected with a supply line 91 and the other ends of the windings of the relays 89 and 90 are conductively connected to the other supply line 92. The supply line 91 is also conductively connected with the contact elements 93 and 94 of the control relays 89 and 90, respectively. The output contact elements 95 and 96 of these'control relays 89 and 90 are conductively connected with the two windings 97 and 98 of the adjusting motor 23 whose common supply contact 99 is conductively connected with the supply line 92.

In the illustrated embodiment, the adjusting motor 23 is a single-phase alternating current motor in which the windings 97 and 98 are phase displaced through an angle of 90. The result is that upon excitation of the winding 97, the motor 23 will rotate in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 82 in FIG. 15, while upon excitation of the winding 98 the motor will rotate in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 81 in FIG. 14. When the cigarette rod 10 does not contain enough tobacco, the amplifier unit 12 supplies the control device 13 with a negative voltage which causes an excitation of the polarized relay in the same sense so that the switch lever 86 will be moved into engagement with the contact element 87. The result is that the circuit of the control relay 89 is closed and the switch contact 89a will connect the contact elements 93 and 95 with each other so that the supply line 91 will furnish the motor winding 97 with current. The adjusting motor 23 will then rotate in the direction of the arrow 81 so that the control operation as illustrated in FIG. 14 will be initiated.

When the test device 11 indicates that the cigarette rod 10 contains too much tobacco, the amplifier unit 12 feeds a positive voltage into the control device 13, and the polarized relay will cause a movement of the switching lever 86 into engagement with the contact element 88 so that now the control relay will be energized. The switch contact 90a will connect the contact elements 94 and 96 with each other and as a result the motor winding 98 of the adjusting motor 23 is energized. The motor 23 starts now to rotate in the direction of the arrow 82 and thereby the control operation as illustrated in FIG. 15 is initiated.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In an industrial processing system using compressible material to form a product and including a conveyor for said material, and means for feeding an amount of said material to said conveyor in excess of that required to form the product, the material on said conveyor having a free surface, a control system for controlling the quantity of said material used in forming said product, said control system comprising separating means for separating said material into a first portion of predetermined cross section and a second portion containing the excess, adjustable means for pressing the free surface of said material with a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure toward said conveyor ahead of said separating means thereby controlling the density of said material as conveyed to said separating means, said adjustable means comprising an adjustably positioned roller, means for feeding said separated first portion to form said product, detecting means for detecting the quantity of said material in said product, and means responsive to said detecting means for controlling said adjustable means in accordance with the quantity of said material detected to maintain said quantity constant.

2. In an industrial control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said roller is provided with circumferential projections.

3. A machine for producing a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, comprising conveyor means defining an elongated path and having an elongated groove which defines a first portion of said path; means for feeding a mass of tobacco into said path in such quantities that the tobacco forms a moving stream having an exposed side and containing tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod; trimming means adjacent to said groove for removing excess tobacco from the stream whereby the remainder of the stream forms a tobacco rod; adjustable compacting means located upstream of and in close proximity to said trimming means, said compacting means including biasing means arranged to subject the exposed side of the stream to the action of a mechanical compacting force acting in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the tobacco stream; testing means adjacent to a second portion of said path for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the mass of tobacco moving in said second portion of the path; and adjusting means operatively connected with said testing means for adjusting said biasing means so as to reduce the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity and to increase the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity, said biasing means comprising a pivotally mounted lever including a roller and operatively connected with said adjusting means to urge a portion of said roller in engagement with the exposed side of the tobacco stream moving in said groove, resilient means for urging said lever in a direction to move the roller away from the exposed side of the tobacco stream, and means for driving the roller at a speed which equals the speed of the tobacco stream in said groove and in such direction that said portion of the roller moves in the same direction as the tobacco stream.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said conveyor means comprises a suction wheel and wherein said groove is an annular groove provided in the periphery of said wheel, said wheel comprising an air-permeable annular portion constituting the bottom wall of said groove and said compacting means further comprising a suction chamber surrounded by said bottom wall, a suction generator, and a suction line connecting said chamber with said suction generator so that the chamber draws a current of air through said exposed side and thereby compresses the tobacco stream in said groove.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 3, further comprising means for smoothing the exposed side of the tobacco stream in said groove at a point upstream of said compacting means.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 3, further compris ing wrapping means located downstream of said trimming means for applying a continuous wrapper around the tobacco rod and for thus transforming the tobacco rod into a wrapped tobacco rod, said testing means being located downstream of said trimming means for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the tobacco rod.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 6, wherein said compacting means further comprises suction creating means for subjecting the exposed side of the tobacco stream in said groove to the compressive action of an air current.

8. A machine for producing a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, comprising conveyor means defining an elon gated path and having an elongated groove which defines a first portion of said path, said conveyor means comprising an air-permeable portion constituting the bottom wall of said groove; means for feeding a mass of tobacco into said path in such quantities that the tobacco forms a moving stream having an exposed side and containing tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod; trimming means adjacent to said groove for removing excess tobacco from the stream whereby the remainder of the stream forms a tobacco rod; adjustable compacting means located upstream of and in close proximity to said trimming means, said compacting means including biasing means arranged to subject the exposed side of the stream to the action of a mechanical compacting force acting in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the tobacco stream, said biasing means comprising a compacting member adjustable between first and second positions respectively located nearer to and more distant from said groove and said compacting means further comprising suction creating means including a suction chamber adjacent to said bottom wall opposite said groove and means for evacuating air from said chamber and for thereby drawing a current of air through said exposed side of the tobacco stream and into said chamber so that the current of air compresses the tobacco stream; testing means adjacent to a second portion of said path for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the mass of tobacco moving in said second portion of the path; first adjusting means operatively connected with said testing means for adjusting said biasing means so as to reduce the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity and to increase the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity, said first adjusting means being arranged to adjust said compacting member between said end positions thereof so that the compacting member assumes said first end position when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity and that the compacting member assumes said second end position when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity; and second adjusting means for adjusting said suction creating means in response to movement of said compacting member to an end position so as to increase the strength of the air current when said compacting member is in said first end position and to reduce the strength of the air current in the second end position of said compacting member. 

1. In an industrial processing system using compressible material to form a product and including a conveyor for said material, and means for feeding an amount of said material to said conveyor in excess of that required to form the product, the material on said conveyor having a free surface, a control system for controlling the quantity of said material used in forming said product, said control system comprising separating means for separating said material into a first portion of predetermined cross section and a second portion containing the excess, adjustable means for pressing the free surface of said material with a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure toward said conveyor ahead of said separating means thereby controlling the density of said material as conveyed to said separating means, said adjustable means comprising an adjustably positioned roller, means for feeding said separated first portion to form said product, detecting means for detecting the quantity of said material in said product, and means responsive to said detecting means for controlling said adjustable means in accordance with the quantity of said material detected to maintain said quantity constant.
 2. In an industrial control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said roller is provided with circumferential projections.
 3. A machine for producing a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, comprising conveyor means defining an elongated path and having an elongated groove which defines a first portion of said path; means for feeding a mass of tobacco into said path in such quantities that the tobacco forms a moving stream having an exposed side and containing tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod; trimming means adjacent to said groove for removing excess tobacco from the stream whereby the remainder of the stream forms a tobacco rod; adjustable compacting means located upstream of and in close proximity to said trimming means, said compacting means including biasing means arranged to subject the exposed side of the stream to the action of a mechanical compactinG force acting in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the tobacco stream; testing means adjacent to a second portion of said path for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the mass of tobacco moving in said second portion of the path; and adjusting means operatively connected with said testing means for adjusting said biasing means so as to reduce the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity and to increase the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity, said biasing means comprising a pivotally mounted lever including a roller and operatively connected with said adjusting means to urge a portion of said roller in engagement with the exposed side of the tobacco stream moving in said groove, resilient means for urging said lever in a direction to move the roller away from the exposed side of the tobacco stream, and means for driving the roller at a speed which equals the speed of the tobacco stream in said groove and in such direction that said portion of the roller moves in the same direction as the tobacco stream.
 4. A machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said conveyor means comprises a suction wheel and wherein said groove is an annular groove provided in the periphery of said wheel, said wheel comprising an air-permeable annular portion constituting the bottom wall of said groove and said compacting means further comprising a suction chamber surrounded by said bottom wall, a suction generator, and a suction line connecting said chamber with said suction generator so that the chamber draws a current of air through said exposed side and thereby compresses the tobacco stream in said groove.
 5. A machine as set forth in claim 3, further comprising means for smoothing the exposed side of the tobacco stream in said groove at a point upstream of said compacting means.
 6. A machine as set forth in claim 3, further comprising wrapping means located downstream of said trimming means for applying a continuous wrapper around the tobacco rod and for thus transforming the tobacco rod into a wrapped tobacco rod, said testing means being located downstream of said trimming means for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the tobacco rod.
 7. A machine as set forth in claim 6, wherein said compacting means further comprises suction creating means for subjecting the exposed side of the tobacco stream in said groove to the compressive action of an air current.
 8. A machine for producing a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, comprising conveyor means defining an elongated path and having an elongated groove which defines a first portion of said path, said conveyor means comprising an air-permeable portion constituting the bottom wall of said groove; means for feeding a mass of tobacco into said path in such quantities that the tobacco forms a moving stream having an exposed side and containing tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod; trimming means adjacent to said groove for removing excess tobacco from the stream whereby the remainder of the stream forms a tobacco rod; adjustable compacting means located upstream of and in close proximity to said trimming means, said compacting means including biasing means arranged to subject the exposed side of the stream to the action of a mechanical compacting force acting in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the tobacco stream, said biasing means comprising a compacting member adjustable between first and second positions respectively located nearer to and more distant from said groove and said compacting means further comprising suction creating means including a suction chamber adjacent to said bottom wall opposite said groove and means for evacuating air from said chamber and for thereby drawing a current of air through said exposed side of the tobacco stream and into said chamber so that the current of air compresses the tobacco stream; testing means adjacent to a second portion of said path for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the mass of tobacco moving in said second portion of the path; first adjusting means operatively connected with said testing means for adjusting said biasing means so as to reduce the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity and to increase the compacting force of said biasing means when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity, said first adjusting means being arranged to adjust said compacting member between said end positions thereof so that the compacting member assumes said first end position when the measured quantity is less than said predetermined quantity and that the compacting member assumes said second end position when the measured quantity exceeds said predetermined quantity; and second adjusting means for adjusting said suction creating means in response to movement of said compacting member to an end position so as to increase the strength of the air current when said compacting member is in said first end position and to reduce the strength of the air current in the second end position of said compacting member. 